Deputy Director PHM Operations and CSO Group Performance

The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

UKHSA’s remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation’s expert national health security agency UKHSA will:

• Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation’s readiness, defences and health security
• Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health
• Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks
• Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise
• Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities.

Job overview

The Deputy Director is a core member of the leadership team of the Scientific Facilities and Performance directorate. The role holder will also be a member of the Public Health Microbiology directorate (PHM) leadership team.

Microbiology in context encompasses bacteriology, mycology, parasitology and virology and supporting laboratory technologies.

To do this, the role-holder will be required to implement enhanced operational metrics and group performance scorecard.

The Deputy Director is responsible for overseeing enduring operations and performance areas to ensure our laboratories deliver efficient and high-quality services. The role-holder will also develop improved tracking and management of PHM income to ensure that the cost of services is fully recovered.

Main duties of the job

The Deputy Director will oversee business and commercial activities for Public Health Microbiology (PHM), ensuring services are delivered to plan and within agreed turnaround times. The role holder is responsible for ensuring non-pay expenditure is within budget and shall lead response planning and workforce development.

In ensuring efficient and high-quality services are maintained and enhanced, the Deputy Director is responsible for continuous improvement and will also support the group-wide transformation and modernisation programme leading projects as required.

Importantly, the post-holder will ensure that PHM is prepared and ready to respond to outbreaks and incident response. They will also oversee business continuity arrangements for PHM including ensuring adequate capacity and surge arrangements as required.

The Deputy Director will develop strategic partnerships with local, national and international organisations, academia, industry and research funding bodies to maintain and develop world-class scientific and public health microbiology functions and services.

Working for our organisation

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The postholder will ensure that the operations are underpinned by an effective performance management system.

• Ensure the Division operates effectively, efficiently and to consistent high standards of quality.
• Ensure that PHM services are delivered to budget and within agreed service level agreements.
• Ensure that income is recovered for services provided to external and internal partners.
• Implement a culture of continuous process improvement and service improvement.
• Ensure robust contracting, procurement, capital and business planning, leading the management of NHS and other partner commercial contracts.
• Own emergency response planning, business continuity arrangements and continuous improvement of services for PHM.
• Ensure that performance is recorded, reported and monitored across PHM and that action is taken where intervention and improvement is necessary.
• Lead the PHM directorate’s input to business planning and SR activity to support group submissions.
• Ensure that recruitment across the Division is efficient.
• Ensure the Division has robust planning for workforce development, career pathways, training and succession.
• Lead the development of a new performance function for the CSO Group, developing performance metrics to enable the senior leadership team.
• Be accountable for the implementation of enhanced operational and performance analytics across the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) Group, driving a data-led approach to performance improvement.
• Continually develop and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of PHM.
• Work with colleagues to identify and ensure the maintenance of business-critical activities, e.g. through contracts, supply chains and to ensure that there are effective business continuity plans in place, and they are tested regularly.
• Work with colleagues within and external to UKHSA to ensure surge capacity is in place at all times.
• Ensure effective succession planning within the PHM Division.
• Resolve complaints, grievances, capability and disciplinary issues at the appropriate level.
• Lead and manage change positively, when necessary.
• Take responsibility for the upkeep and provision of quality and information systems related to the Division.
• Support and develop the workforce across the whole system, in line with UKHSA’s remit, to support capability and capacity, including scientific and professional skills to meet the challenges involved in protecting and improving the public’s health.
• Ensure oversight and assurance of ongoing research is maintained within the Division.
• Develop and implement the Division workforce plan, including retention, recruitment and career development of staff.
• Work with PHM DDs, Head of Science Profession and Head of Science Talent Management to ensure the Division provides training opportunities appropriate for its clinical, scientific and other staff groups and students, including programmes for Biomedical Medical Scientist (BMS) placement students, Scientist Training Programme (STP) and Higher Specialist Scientist training (HSST) programme candidates.
• Developing and maintain relationships with key partners and stakeholders in the UK and internationally.
• Providing input to policymakers in DHSC and other government departments.
• Maintain technical expertise and research commitments and support report writing and relevant peer review publications.
• Manage Project Management transition programmes across Public Health microbiology delivering innovative new functions including Molecular, genomics, proteomics and serology (as they are developed and implemented).

Please see Candidate Pack for full overview of duties.

• Demonstrable experience in creating, leading and managing high performing multidisciplinary teams and laboratory services either in the public or private sectors.
• Broad experience and understanding of public health microbiology and virology.
• Evidence of managing major changes successfully, including experience of creating and implementing continuous improvement programmes and business planning for future success.
• Experience of managing budgets to balance, across a geographically dispersed operational organisation.
• Experience in contracting, contract negotiations and procurement.
• Experience with specialist training and development of staff.
• Experience of successfully leading responses to and investigation of health and safety- and quality- related incidents.
• Demonstrated ability to operate at pace in a fast-changing complex environment to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Experienced at introducing and managing Information Systems projects.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems
• Programme or Project Management Qualification or equivalent experience

• Knowledge, experience and awareness of the laboratory landscape, particularly within the Public Health Genomics environment.
• Experience in providing advice for government policy.
• Experience of national policy development and implementation.

Qualifications/ experience:

Essential:

• MSc in an appropriate scientific discipline or equivalent experience.
• Management / Leadership / Finance qualification e.g. BSc/MSc / MBA or equivalent.
• The professional registration requirements for this post depend if you are a Biomedical Scientist, Clinical Scientist or other registered professional. Please note these as follows:
• For Biomedical Scientists or Clinical Scientists:

Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) or demonstration of active work to complete the portfolio within 1 year of appointment in appropriate discipline

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Success profiles behaviours

• an Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• a 1000 word Statement of Suitability.

This should outline how your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The Application Form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

Longlisting: A long list stage may be introduced if we receive a large number of very credible applications.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on “Evidence of managing major changes successfully, including experience of creating and implementing continuous improvement programmes and business planning for future success."

Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment

Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview (success profiles)

You will be invited to a remote interview.

Behaviours will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at pace

Interviews will be held week commencing TBC Please note, these dates are subject to change.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Clearance.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC).

UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQ’s (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London) or at one of our scientific campus sites (Colindale, Porton and Chilton).

Relocation expenses are not available.

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Person specification

Experience

• Application Form & Statement of Suitability

Behaviours

• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ

Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own.

Applicants must also meet necessary security and vetting requirements, along with any other relevant pre-employment checks.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

For more information on job nationality requirements and the right to work in the UK, see the Civil Service Nationality rules (opens in a new window) and the UK Visas and Immigration rules (opens in a new window)

Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

The Civil Service pay structure and progression is different from NHS Agenda for Change (AfC), most local authority pay grades and other systems that have annual pay increments. For further details, please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.

For AfC or Medical/Dental posts, you must have the correct professional registration to be appointed. The pay will follow the AfC or Medical & Dental terms & conditions. You may be asked to provide evidence of previous service whilst we are conducting pre-employment checks to determine your starting salary.

You cannot take the post up as a fixed term. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSA’s Pay policy.

Given the nature of the work of the UKHSA, as a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, you may be required in an emergency, if deemed a necessity, to redeploy to another role at short notice. You may also be required to work at any other location, within reasonable travelling distance of your permanent home address, in line with the provisions set out in your contract of employment.

Late Applications will unfortunately not be considered.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website here.

Reserve List - If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list.

The panel will assess if candidates meet the requirement of the role first, using a specific benchmark system. If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.

Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.

UKHSA is required to check employment and/or education history covering three consecutive years. Please ensure you give details of at least two different referees, even if you were employed in one company for three years or more.

If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

Benefits of working at UKHSA include:

• Generous annual leave:
• 26 days for the first 5 years of continuous service
• 28 days after 5 years of continuous service
• 32 days after 10 years of continuous service
• Plus public holidays and one privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving.
• Access to a retail discounts and cashback site.
• We also promote flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours). UKHSA views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.
• We also offer a generous maternity/ paternity and adoption leave package.

Hybrid Working

UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce.

As a hybrid worker, you will usually spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted hours (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (approximately 3 days a week pro rata) and the rest of your time working from home.

Disability Confident Scheme

If you wish to be included in this scheme please tick the box on your application form.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone.

To help you during the recruitment process, we will take into account any reasonable adjustments that could help you.

An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work.

This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme.

If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should:

Contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/

International Police Check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and could be time accrued over that period.

Internal Fraud check

Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.

Security Vetting

Please check the Security Clearance needed for the role and follow the link for more information:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels